HMAS Protector (ASR 241) was a Royal Australian Navy

Royal Australian Navy

The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...

 (RAN) trials and submarine rescue ship. Built in 1984, the ship was initially operated by the National Safety Council of Australia

National Safety Council of Australia

The National Safety Council of Australia is a nonprofit organisation in Australia promoting safety awareness and offering consulting, auditing and training services. For much of its life NCSA was a volunteer organisation concerned largely with accident prevention...

 as MV Blue Nabilla. She was purchased by the RAN in 1990 for use as a surveillance, training, and diving support vessel. During her military career, Protector supported the trials of the s, and was involved in a search for the shipwreck of the World War II cruiser . The ship was decommissioned and sold to Defence Maritime Services

Defence Maritime Services

DMS Maritime, formerly Defence Maritime Services, is an Australian company providing port services to the Australian Defence Force and Australian Customs Service National Marine Unit. DMS was founded in 1997 and currently operates 8 ocean going vessels and over 100 harbour craft and has around 350...

 in 1998. Renamed Seahorse Horizon, the ship operates out of as a training vessel.

Construction

The ship was constructed by Stirling Marine Services in Western Australia, and was completed in 1984.

Operational history

She operated as MV Blue Nabilla for the National Safety Council of Australia

National Safety Council of Australia

The National Safety Council of Australia is a nonprofit organisation in Australia promoting safety awareness and offering consulting, auditing and training services. For much of its life NCSA was a volunteer organisation concerned largely with accident prevention...

 until 1990.

The ship was purchased by the RAN on 18 October 1990, fitted with a LIPS dynamic positioning system, two Remotely Operated Vehicles

Remotely operated vehicle

A remotely operated vehicle is a tethered underwater vehicle. They are common in deepwater industries such as offshore hydrocarbon extraction. An ROV may sometimes be called a remotely operated underwater vehicle to distinguish it from remote control vehicles operating on land or in the air. ROVs...

 and a recompression chamber. She was commissioned as HMAS Protector in November 1990. She supported the trials and acceptance process from 1992. On 10 June 1995, Protector was slightly damaged when a switchboard malfunction aboard caused the submarine to ram the trials ship. The vessel also performed in the surveillance, training, and diving support roles.

During 1997, Protector undertook a brief and unsuccessful search for the remains of the World War II cruiser .

When Protector was decommissioned in 1998, she was sold to the RAN's support craft contractor, Defence Maritime Services

Defence Maritime Services

DMS Maritime, formerly Defence Maritime Services, is an Australian company providing port services to the Australian Defence Force and Australian Customs Service National Marine Unit. DMS was founded in 1997 and currently operates 8 ocean going vessels and over 100 harbour craft and has around 350...

, and remains in use as a training ship operating out of under the name Seahorse Horizon. In 2002, Seahorse Horizon took part in Exercise Dugong, laying and recovering mines.